Friday, October 30, 2009

Iceland Airwaves Flashback - 60s Style

Braveing the soggy weather Thursday night, I had yet another Sixties flashback.

Last week, I was in Iceland. This week Iceland came to me at the Walker Art Center’s McGuire Auditorium in the form of the musical collective known as Múm. It was a very strange affair, even by Icelandic standards: imagine the gentlest, trippy-est flower-power band in the summer of love. The experience that constitutes a Múm concert doesn’t really have songs but, rather, vague refrains, not exactly coherent musical parts, just groups of sounds. And lots and lots of la-la-las. I was in la-la land! At one point Örvar, the lead singer, mentioned that "… we’re really playing a quiet concert tonight… it's OK to go to sleep… " If not for the excellent percussion work by Samuli Kosminen, I might have done just that.



I’d seen the opening act, Hildur Gunðadóttir play at the Airwaves in 2006 with Storsveit Nix Noltes and also with Johann Johannsson's project Evil Madness. Those were better shows. The second act, Sin Fang Bous, was fronted by 'Sindri', whose singing attained, at times, a Garðar Holm quality.


Here is a video from the show I attended:

By Professor Batty


6 Comments:

Blogger Darien Fisher-Duke said...

Great review, Batty! Yo've been in la-la land before, right? John should have been there: his affirmation of a great concert is if he catches a few pleasureable zzz's. Our nephew Marc went, and had alerted me--I was wondering if you were there. I see Bill Frisell is coming Feb. 6--that's a concert I'd love to attend. The last line of your review is quite superior.


Blogger Professor Batty said...

Rose ~ Never been in la-la land like that while sober...

You might be the only person to read this who would understand that last line...


Anonymous Jon said...

Almost makes me want to move back to the Big City. Almost...
Still seeking that one pure note.


Blogger Professor Batty said...

Jon ~ Ok, you understand too...


Anonymous Jon said...

Most of that understanding I owe to you and Rose. Thanks.


Blogger Darien Fisher-Duke said...

I was just thinking how long it had been since we heard from Jon. Glad you've reappeared!

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